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Northwest Branch at Kemp Mill

Highest listed crest 15.89 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft79 crests since 1924

The Northwest Branch at Kemp Mill crested above flood stage 29 times among the 79 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1924 to 2024. The highest, 15.89 ft on June 22, 1972, was moderate flooding, 6.89 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.89 ft
June 22, 1972; 11,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.0 ft
Crests at major
0
29 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
9.26 ft, minor flooding
Location
Montgomery County
Near Takoma Park (6.1 mi), Rockville (6.9 mi), College Park (6.9 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Northwest Branch at Kemp Mill
Action stage6.050Apr 16, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.025Jan 10, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.04Apr 30, 2014Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

79 crests from 1924 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Northwest Branch at Kemp Mill, 1924 to 2024 5101520ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 19.0 ft Sep 29, 1924: 7.99 ft, action stage; 2,230 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1926: 6.10 ft, action stage; 1,000 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 1926: 6.50 ft, action stage; 1,210 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1927: 6.50 ft, action stage; 1,210 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1930: 6.00 ft, action stage; 964 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1931: 7.00 ft, action stage; 1,340 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1932: 7.50 ft, action stage; 1,000 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1933: 9.30 ft, minor flooding; 4,500 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1934: 6.80 ft, action stage; 1,230 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1935: 7.00 ft, action stage; 1,340 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1936: 6.50 ft, action stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 1937: 8.20 ft, action stage; 2,550 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 1937: 8.14 ft, action stage; 2,490 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1943: 7.06 ft, action stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1943: 7.37 ft, action stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1945: 8.37 ft, action stage; 2,020 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1946: 7.33 ft, action stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1948: 7.10 ft, action stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1949: 8.80 ft, action stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1950: 7.75 ft, action stage; 1,240 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 1950: 9.70 ft, minor flooding; 3,960 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1952: 9.74 ft, minor flooding; 4,110 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 1953: 10.99 ft, minor flooding; 4,910 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1954: 6.66 ft, action stage; 772 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1955: 8.73 ft, action stage; 1,470 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1956: 8.86 ft, action stage; 1,550 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1957: 7.37 ft, action stage; 941 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 1959: 7.37 ft, action stage; 941 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1960: 7.01 ft, action stage; 842 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1961: 7.75 ft, action stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1962: 6.79 ft, action stage; 798 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1963: 7.83 ft, action stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1964: 6.77 ft, action stage; 814 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1965: 8.14 ft, action stage; 1,210 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1966: 9.57 ft, minor flooding; 2,100 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1967: 9.15 ft, minor flooding; 1,740 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1968: 7.26 ft, action stage; 935 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1968: 8.34 ft, action stage; 1,290 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1969: 7.82 ft, action stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1970: 8.56 ft, action stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1971: 9.87 ft, minor flooding; 2,240 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1972: 15.89 ft, moderate flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 1972: 7.12 ft, action stage; 900 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1974: 8.21 ft, action stage; 1,230 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1975: 12.24 ft, moderate flooding; 6,640 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1976: 8.75 ft, action stage; 1,480 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 9.36 ft, minor flooding; 1,960 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 1979: 11.47 ft, minor flooding; 6,300 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1979: 8.08 ft, action stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1982: 6.41 ft, action stage; 722 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1983: 8.21 ft, action stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1998: 8.08 ft, action stage; 1,420 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1999: 9.32 ft, minor flooding; 2,070 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2000: 6.01 ft, action stage; 795 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2001: 9.65 ft, minor flooding; 2,410 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 2002: 6.13 ft, action stage; 821 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2003: 9.92 ft, minor flooding; 2,720 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 2003: 9.85 ft, minor flooding; 2,640 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 9.13 ft, minor flooding; 1,950 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2006: 13.61 ft, moderate flooding; 9,140 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 2006: 8.34 ft, action stage; 1,520 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2008: 8.48 ft, action stage; 1,590 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2009: 7.19 ft, action stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 2010: 8.69 ft, action stage; 1,700 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2011: 8.45 ft, action stageDec 7, 2011: 7.46 ft, action stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2012: 10.07 ft, minor flooding; 2,936 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2013: 10.13 ft, minor flooding; 2,980 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2014: 12.26 ft, moderate flooding; 7,530 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 9.81 ft, minor flooding; 2,603 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2015: 9.51 ft, minor flooding; 2,204 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2016: 9.30 ft, minor flooding; 2,050 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2017: 9.88 ft, minor flooding; 2,683 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2018: 8.72 ft, action stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 2018: 9.27 ft, minor flooding; 2,020 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 2021: 9.31 ft, minor flooding; 2,060 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2021: 9.50 ft, minor flooding; 2,300 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2022: 10.11 ft, minor flooding; 2,952 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 9.26 ft, minor flooding; 2,026 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.89 ft, Jun 22, 1972 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Northwest Branch at Kemp Mill 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 3 1960s: 2 1970s: 5 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 5 2010s: 8 8 2020s: 4 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 79 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Northwest Branch at Kemp Mill
1Jun 22, 197215.89+6.89Moderate11,000
2Jun 26, 200613.61+4.61Moderate9,140
3Apr 30, 201412.26+3.26Moderate7,530
4Jul 15, 197512.24+3.24Moderate6,640
5Sep 5, 197911.47+2.47Minor6,300
6Aug 8, 195310.99+1.99Minor4,910
7Jun 10, 201310.13+1.13Minor2,980
8Jul 3, 202210.11+1.11Minor2,952
9Oct 30, 201210.07+1.07Minor2,936
10Sep 23, 20039.92+0.92Minor2,720
11Jul 29, 20179.88+0.88Minor2,683
12Aug 4, 19719.87+0.87Minor2,240
13Dec 11, 20039.85+0.85Minor2,640
14May 16, 20149.81+0.81Minor2,603
15Sep 1, 19529.74+0.74Minor4,110
16Nov 25, 19509.70+0.70Minor3,960
17Jun 23, 20019.65+0.65Minor2,410
18Sep 14, 19669.57+0.57Minor2,100
19Jun 27, 20159.51+0.51Minor2,204
20Sep 1, 20219.50+0.50Minor2,300
21Jan 26, 19789.36+0.36Minor1,960
22Sep 16, 19999.32+0.32Minor2,070
23Aug 17, 20219.31+0.31Minor2,060
24Aug 23, 19339.30+0.30Minor4,500
25May 2, 20169.30+0.30Minor2,050
26Dec 16, 20189.27+0.27Minor2,020
27Jan 10, 20249.26+0.26Minor2,026
28Aug 25, 19679.15+0.15Minor1,740
29Jan 14, 20059.13+0.13Minor1,950
30Jul 21, 19568.86−0.14Action1,550
31May 23, 19498.80−0.20Action2,030
32Jan 1, 19768.75−0.25Action1,480
33Aug 13, 19558.73−0.27Action1,470
34Apr 16, 20188.72−0.28Action1,580
35Aug 12, 20108.69−0.31Action1,700
36Apr 14, 19708.56−0.44Action1,380
37May 12, 20088.48−0.52Action1,590
38Sep 8, 20118.45−0.55Action—
39Jul 27, 19458.37−0.63Action2,020
40Jul 9, 19688.34−0.66Action1,290
41Nov 16, 20068.34−0.66Action1,520
42Mar 30, 19748.21−0.79Action1,230
43Apr 15, 19838.21−0.79Action1,250
44Aug 27, 19378.20−0.80Action2,550
45Nov 13, 19378.14−0.86Action2,490
46Mar 5, 19658.14−0.86Action1,210
47Oct 1, 19798.08−0.92Action1,190
48Mar 21, 19988.08−0.92Action1,420
49Sep 29, 19247.99−1.01Action2,230
50Jun 5, 19637.83−1.17Action1,080

Other gauges in Montgomery County

Flood gauges in Montgomery County
Sandy Spring6.59.24 ft, Jan 19, 19960
Brighton Dam9.011.88 ft, Jan 31, 20130
Unity8.018.60 ft, Sep 11, 19711
Edwards Ferry15.022.45 ft, Jun 5, 20180
Washington DC (Little Falls)10.022.03 ft, Jun 24, 19724
Dawsonville7.516.40 ft, Jun 22, 19722
Takoma Park5.57.52 ft, Jul 19, 20250
Boyds7.09.68 ft, Sep 8, 20110
Clarksburg7.08.27 ft, Jul 30, 20160
Aspen Hill10.012.78 ft, Aug 12, 20100

Montgomery County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Maryland

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CLAM2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.